221B Or Not 221B
by Elerrina Star
Summary: THAT is the question. A collection of stories that range from 221B's to full length one-shots. NOT-slash.
1. Boswell

A/N: I wrote this months ago but haven't been brave enough to post it until now. I hadn't written anything Sherlock Holmes before this either, so if there is anything off/wrong with my characterization then pleasepleaseplease let me know!

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I confess to not being entirely certain as to neither how nor when it actually happened.

The first time I offered him the chance to tag along with me on one of my cases it had simply been out of the (admittedly rather shameful) desire to show off more of my not inconsiderable skills in deduction.

The second time was due to a desire to see him out of the house after a long week spent stuck inside thanks to some particularly bad weather, the results of which had led to his war wounds paining him more than was usual. This of course made even the simplest of movements an unpleasant business and as a result he had quickly become both bored and rather grumpy. And as there is nothing more destructive to a meditative atmosphere than a bored, grumpy ex-army surgeon – and since the rain had finally let up – I decided to have him along, for my sanity as well as his own.

It was not until our most recent case together that it occurred to me that something was different. So much so, in fact, that now whenever I work a case alone I constantly catch myself wishing for Watson's steady presence.

I know it sounds impossible, but… Could it be that I, Sherlock Holmes, actually _miss_ my Boswell?

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So… yeah, there it is! What'd you think? Love it? Hate it? Leave me a review and let me know! Pwetty pwease? :)

Disclaimer: They aren't mind. *sob*


	2. Behind

Retiring was the second most difficult thing that Sherlock Holmes had ever done.

Not for the reasons you might think; not because he was leaving behind a life that he once loved, nor because he feared spending the rest of said life in a way that not many years before would have driven him mad with its simplicity.

No, it was hard for one reason and one reason alone: Watson.

How could he so easily go away to Sussex and leave behind the man who for the better part of twenty years had been his closest companion, his brother in arms, his _friend_? Of course it was not goodbye forever, but still, with only the occasional weekend visit it just wouldn't be the same.

Holmes would not often miss the days of clients coming to his door to beg for help with their problems. He would not often miss the thrill of the hunt, nor the rush of pride he felt with every puzzle solved.

But he would each and every day miss the companionship of the man he had come to love as a brother.

Saying goodbye was the first most difficult thing that Sherlock Holmes had ever done, and he pondered to himself that if only Watson could somehow come with him, he would gladly leave everything else behind.

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Still can't decide how I feel about this one, but I knew that if I didn't post it soon I never would. Reviews are love!

Disclaimer: Still aren't mine…


	3. Choices

**A/N: Yeeah... don't know where this came from. I sat down at my computer to write one thing and ended up with this instead. Crazy plot-bunnies... Anyway, thought I'd post it beofre I re-read it too many times and completely lost my nerve. Not a 221b, obviously. The words just kept spilling out and wouldn't be confined to only 221. **

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It was a voice that first drew me back from the warm darkness that enveloped me.

"Holmes. Come on old boy, say something. Holmes?"

It sounded vaguely familiar, this voice, but I couldn't quite place it, my mind feeling hazy and oddly sluggish as I struggled to process what had happened. I didn't remember much; dinner, a concert, and then we had decided to walk home and enjoy the fresh evening air-.

"Come on, wake up. Please, please wake up."

There was that voice again. Odd, they sounded worried. But what was there to be worried about? I was perfectly safe here in the warm and the dark. Nothing hurt, nothing ached or stung or throbbed. There was no pain, no fear, only silence and shadows and the frustrating inability to remember how I had gotten here. But that was only a minor inconvenience, and one I thought I could easily live with. I liked it, here in the darkness. Perhaps I would stay.

But what had I been thinking before that voice had so rudely interrupted me-? Ah, right, walking. We had been walking home from the theater and had just begun to cross the street, when… when…?

When a cab had come dashing round the corner, driven by an idiot who had obviously had too much to drink and whose horse was now madly out of control. There hadn't been time to cry out, and Watson…

Watson!

I remembered it all now with painful clarity. I had stopped at the corner to observe something, what it was I can't remember now, and Watson had been just ahead of me, directly in the path of the oncoming vehicle. There hadn't been time for a warning, no time even to blink. I acted in the only way I could have done and leapt forth, shoving Watson out of harm's way and to safety.

There had been pain then. So much pain, and there had also been fear. And then there had been nothing. I found myself in this emptiness, and now I had no wish to leave, knowing that to return to life would be to return to the pain and the fear that was my last whole memory. No, I wanted to stay, and so I sank slowly deeper, allowing the darkness to swallow me entirely.

But then that voice came again, Watson, as I now recognized it to be, and shattered the nothingness with its words.

"No! Blast it all, Holmes, you can't do this to me. Not again. Now wake up!"

It might have been something in the way Watson's demand ended in a sort of choking sound that convinced me that I couldn't stay, that I had to leave the safety of the darkness and return to the real world. It might also have been the guilt that welled up within me at the words _not again_. Whichever it was, I knew in that moment that I couldn't stay here, I couldn't leave Watson alone again. Not while the choice to stay was still mine to make.

I felt the darkness fading at the same moment that the pain washed over me, but I did not turn back. And when I opened my eyes to see the face of my dearest friend leaning over me, eyes alight with joy upon seeing me wake, I knew that I had chosen right.

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**A/N/2: Soooo, what'd you think? Was it ok? Too... I don't know, angsty, dark, justplainawful? Please let me know what you thought! Reviews are love!**

**Holmes: You _do_ know it's my Birthday, right?**

**Me: Yeeeees...**

**Holmes: So you ran me over. With a cab. On my _Birthday_?**

**Me: Yeeeees... This _was_ supposed to be a birthday fic, but instead it turned into, well, this. At least I let you live!**

**Holmes: *sarcastic* Oh, yes, thank you!**

**Me: You're welcome! :D**

**Holmes: ...**


	4. Bath

**Bath**

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Werepather33, who suggested I do something cheerful. Hope this satisfies! :)_

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I was reading by the fire when I heard the sitting room door open and my friend Sherlock Holmes enter the room. Glancing up to greet him, I did a double take before sitting straight in my chair and staring at him with wide eyes as I fought the sudden urge to laugh. "Holmes! What on earth happened?"

Holmes shot me a scathing glare before storming off to his bedroom. I followed him as far as the door, grinning like mad.

"Holmes," I choked around my merriment as I leaned against his doorframe and watched him remove his jacket. "Why – dare I ask – are you covered in _chicken feathers_?"

"Do you remember the McCalister case, Watson?" I nodded.

"Well, I solved it!" My friend beamed.

"I'm glad, Holmes," I grinned. "But what has that got to do with chickens?"

Holmes blushed before beginning a rather fascinating tale involving a lady's shoe, three stolen diamonds, a large barrel of honey and seven extremely territorial chickens.

By the time he had finished I could barely breathe for laughing and Holmes was glaring at me indignantly.

"Oh yes, it's _so_ amusing," Holmes pouted, and I grinned up at him.

"Sorry, Holmes."

Sniffing in pride, Holmes mustered what remained of his dignity. "If you'll excuse me, Watson," he said "I think I need a bath."

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_A/N/2: I'm not usually good at "funny", so please leave me a review and let me know how I did. Until next time! _


	5. Best

_A/N: For the fantastic _Lemon Zinger_. This may not be exactly what you had in mind when you suggested one about Mrs. Hudson, but I hope you enjoy it! :)_

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"Well then, Mister 'Olmes, you first."

Desperate, I looked about for some sort of weapon, Watson shifting behind me as he too glanced about for something with which to subdue the attacker who had broken into our flat at 221B and now stood with his revolver aimed at my head.

The hammer clicked back and I closed my eyes, preparing for the shot – but the only sound to reach my ears was a loud '_BANG'_ followed by a heavy thud. Opening my eyes I was shocked to see Anderson sprawled upon the floor, unconscious, while behind him stood –

"_Mrs. Hudson?"_

It was indeed our longsuffering landlady, standing over our would-be murderer with a heavy frying pan grasped firmly in her hands.

"Are you two alright?" She asked. Finding us both unharmed, she sighed.

"I trust you'll have your friend gone by morning, Mister Holmes? I'd hate to trip over him when I bring up your breakfast."

When I nodded mutely, still shocked, she smiled.

"Good. Now, if you two gentlemen don't need anything else I'll be off to bed. Goodnight," she said before disappearing promptly down the stairs, leaving Watson and I gaping after her in astonishment and amusement.

"You know, Watson," I said eventually. "Of all the landladies in London, I do believe ours must be the very best."

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_A/N/2: Honestly, after living with these two so long I don't think there's anything that can faze dear old Mrs. H. As always, reviews are love! _


	6. The Case of the Run On Sentences

_A/N: Ok, so here's something a little different than everything else I've posted so far. I've got four different prompt words, each followed by four different "sentences". The fun part is, when you take all four sentences plus their prompt words and add them together, they come out to exactly 221 words (which I totally didn't do on purpose; don't you love it when things work out that way)! Sadly though the last word isn't a "B" word. Oh well. _

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**Abandon**

Walking away that day at Reichenbach was the hardest thing that Sherlock Holmes had ever had to do, and he hoped with all his heart that someday Watson would understand that he'd only done what he had thought would be best for them both.

**Brother**

Sherlock Holmes had determined at a very young age that he would never allow himself to become emotionally attached to another person; but when a certain doctor limped into his life one day and slowly but patiently began to inch his way through the tiny cracks that existed in the detective's heretofore impenetrable armor, Holmes realized that he'd acquired more than just a flat-mate that day at St. Bart's – he'd also acquired a brother.

**Cold **

When on a case Sherlock Holmes rarely took thought towards his own wellbeing, which is why it was Watson who made sure to grab Holmes' coat as they rushed out the door one Autumn morning, and Watson who insisted that he put it on before he caught cold.

**Despise**

Sherlock Holmes wanted nothing more than to absolutely loathe Mrs. Watson for taking his dearest friend away from him; but, no matter how hard he tried, Holmes couldn't bring himself to hate the woman who made Watson so perfectly happy in ways that he himself would never be able to comprehend.

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_A/N/2: I've never done anything like this before, so leave me a review let me know what you think, pwetty pwease?_

_Oh, and also, I might decide to continue with more of these depending on the response I get for this chapter, so if anyone feels like submitting prompt words beginning with the letters E - H, then please do. It's so much easier if I don't always have to think up my own prompts. And the same with any B words you might like to see in future 221B's. Thanks! :)_


	7. The Case of the Run On Sentences II

**Edge**

Holmes very often lost himself in the shadows and pitfalls of black moods and cocaine induced hazes, but whenever he went too far to find his own way out of the shadows his brilliant mind created, Watson was always there to pull him back before he came too close to the edge.

**Fog**

Even as a man who enjoyed solitude, Holmes had to admit that there was nothing more lonely than hiding out on the moor with no one to keep you company besides the mist and the haunting sounds that floated on the wind.

**Ghost**

When Lestrade fell asleep in the sitting room of 221B after a long and tiresome stakeout, Holmes and Watson discovered that they weren't the only ones whose dreams were often haunted by unwanted memories.

**Handle**

Despite his brother's insistences that he could look after himself, Mycroft Holmes was greatly relieved to find that Sherlock had at last acquired a partner to watch his back whenever things became too difficult for the younger Holmes to handle on his own.

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_A/N: Thanks to _Spockologist, AdidasandPie, and Hades Lord of the Dead _for the lovely word prompts. Hope I was able to do them justice. Now I need some prompts for the letters _I-L_, so if anyone has any ideas please send them my way – and while you're at it, leave me a review, k? :) _


	8. The Case of the Run On Sentences III

**A/N:** *hides behind wall to avoid angry readers* I'm sosoSO sorry for the long gap between updates! I blame it on my muse; first it got distracted by another fandom, and then it went away altogether! But it's back now (hopefully) and I've finally posted so you can't all hate me, right? Right? … Uh-oh… Heh, anyway, here at long last are the next set of sentences. I'm not sure if they're any good, but I _had_ to post _something!_

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**Inconceivable**(1)

Though Watson knew almost from the moment he met her that he loved Mary Morstan with all of his heart, the fact that she returned his affection with equal fervor was to him a mystery worthy of The Great Detective himself.

**Juggernaut**

While on any regular case Holmes was always a formidable mind to beat, but whenever a case came that threatened those he cared for the detective turned from force formidable to force unstoppable, and when that happened no one with brains dared get in his way.

**Knight**

When Mycroft stormed into the sitting room at 221B demanding to know why his brother had turned down _yet another_ knighthood, he was surprised when Sherlock informed him, while glancing sideways at a certain doctor, that he didn't want and would therefore continue to refuse the title as long as others were passed over who deserved the honor far more than he ever would.

**Lonely**

Life had never seemed emptier to Sherlock Holmes than the first few weeks after Watson's marriage, when he would catch himself talking to an empty fireside armchair and a friend who was no longer there.

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(1) Hehe, did anyone else think of _The Princess Bride_ when they saw this, or was it just me?

**A/N/2:** Thanks to everyone who left me a prompt word! They were all great and I've got all the ones I didn't use written down for future drabbles. Next: L-O words, pwetty pwease? As always, reviews are love!


	9. Aftermath

**A/N:** Why hello there, fellow _Sherlock Holmes_ fans! Remember me? No? Well I can't say I blame you. It's been ages since I've written anything for this fandom, and my reading/reviewing in it has been just as bad. I'm ashamed. I really, really am.

But at last I'm here with a new-not-new chapter. It's not new in the sense that I wrote it was back in early 2011, but it IS new because it's never been posted anywhere before today.

It's an unfinished opening to a fic I began, as I said, back in early 2011, and it follows up on the 2010 _Sherlock Holmes_ film with RDJ and Jude Law (I know, I know. That right there is likely to lose me many readers, but ah well). It's not likely to be finished/continued any time soon, if at all, but I just didn't have the heart to banish forever into the depths of my hard drive.

I hope someone enjoys it.

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In all my years I find that I cannot think of a single case that has so thoroughly exhausted me as much as this last has done.

I pride myself on my iron constitution, but I confess that the Blackwood affair - my word, I am beginning to sound as ridiculous as Watson - has shaken me to my very core. So many things could have been lost, almost were lost; and one thing in particular that I am now quite certain that I cannot live without.

But such thoughts are illogical and irrational, and I do my best to push them from my mind.

Good heavens, I am tired; and I _hurt_. The ache that runs up my arm and along my shoulders before spreading down my back is becoming rather ferocious. I've managed to keep it in check thus far, but at last the pain is beginning to force its way to the front and is insisting that I deny it no longer.

How annoying.

I rub my eyes slowly, trying to focus my abnormally hazy mind. I hear Watson speaking to me from across the room, but I cannot make out exactly what it is he's saying. Instead of air it almost sounds as though he is speaking through water, or maybe sand. Well, no, perhaps not sand. I don't think that's even possible, is it? To speak through sand –?

No, no, no. That is ridiculous. I really must be tired to even come close to considering such nonsense. I shake my head then grimace as I become incredibly dizzy. Apparently that was not a very good idea.

A grey cloud begins to spread across my vision and only now does my mind register that something is wrong. In fact, something is _very_ wrong.

Perhaps I should sit down…

I move towards a chair but feel my legs give out beneath me before I have even completed the first step. I hear Watson again, and I believe he is calling my name.

I want to answer him but my weary body fails me at last and the grey mist that had been shrouding my vision turns to black, dragging me down into unconsciousness.

I do not even feel it when I hit the floor.

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_Cliffhanger! And one that will probably never be rectified, either. Shame on me._


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